1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to apparatus for supplying food and water to domestic pets or animals, and more specifically, it relates to a device having a food receptacle and a water receptacle with a reservoir for supplying water continuously to the water receptacle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In connection with the feeding domestic animals, it has been common to utilize combination food and water bowls. These articles typically include two closely spaced bowls or receptacles that are intended to receive the pet food and water. The advantage attributed to these combination bowls is that it is easier for the pet owner to handle the unitary article having both the water and the food receptacle rather than having to fill and transport two separate bowls from the preparation area to the location at which the pet consumes the food and water. There are many variations in the size and shape of such devices with such variations being at least partially attributable to the needs of the various types of domestic animals involved. Small cats have much different requirements than large dogs for example.
There are a number of features which have been developed and used in such pet food and watering devices. Perhaps most significant of these is the use of reservoirs to supply a substantial volume of water continuously to the water receptacle. This feature allows the pet to be left alone and unattended for a longer period of time. Examples in the prior art of such reservoir equipped food and watering devices are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,434 to Gardner, U.S. Pat. No. 3,730,141 to Manning et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,143 to Simon, U.S. Pat. No. 3,720,184 to Pearce and U.S. Pat. No. D 296,371 to Lorenzana et al. All of these patents disclose devices using reservoirs, some being inverted bottles, to dispense water and, in some instances food to receptacles from which the animal may consume the food or water. The mouth of the reservoir is positioned at an appropriate level to provide a constant water or food level in the receptacle so that the animal may conveniently consume the receptacle contents with the reservoir continuing to supply until its contents are exhausted.
In a number of the prior art patents noted above, the reservior comprises an inverted soft drink or soda bottle of the type readily available to the domestic pet owner. These bottles are one or two liter plastic bottles in which most commercially available soft drinks are sold. The plastic bottles are sufficiently rigid and have threaded necks so that they may be easily supported on the food and watering device by threadedly engaging the neck of the inverted bottle into a threaded recess in the device.
Another useful feature common to some of the prior art food and watering devices involves the use of detachable or separable receptacles for the food containing portion of the device. This feature is attractive for several reasons. First, it allows the food container to be washed separately from the other portions which have much less tendency to require washing as they are not in contact with the food. Secondly, it is convenient to fill the food container separately from the waterer since it must usually be done more frequently. In addition, in some instances the separable inserts for the food receptacle are designed to be disposeable as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,845 to Budd. Other examples of separable dishes shown in prior art patents are the U.S. Pat. Nos. to Jones No. 4,532,891 and Cosner No. 2,555,396.